Stevie Wonder: “A Time To Love”
Artist: Stevie Wonder
CD: “A Time To Love” (Motown)
Stevie Wonder’s first collection of new songs in 10 years treads carefully between the experimental jazz-fusion music he produced in the 1970s and the commercial pop that he churned out during the following decade. The result, though potentially disastrous, is a pleasant, mature CD, with enough mainstream appeal to keep the fans of “I Just Called To Say I Love You” happy, while at the same time, pushing the envelope just enough to prove that, at 55, Wonder can still innovate and kick up a decent groove.
For instance, “Sweetest Somebody I Know” seems like an idea that could be fairly sappy on paper, but brought to life by Wonder’s exquisite production, it blossoms into a laid-back semi-samba, with a killer bass line.
The opening track on the CD, “If Your Love Cannot Be Moved,” a duet with Kim Burrell, blends world music rhythms with contemporary pop arrangements and a touch of Flamenco, and qualifies as a minor masterpiece.
Another notable track is “How Will I Know,” a duet with Wonder’s daughter Aisha Morris, who made her recording debut as an infant on the song written in her honor, “Isn’t She Lovely.” The most striking track on the album is the sprawling, nine-minute title cut, a duet with India Arie, with Wonder’s old “Ivory” buddy, Paul McCartney on guitar. This epic tune sports a captivating African drum pattern and an amazing vocal arrangement that perfectly frames his plea for world peace.
This is not a perfect album. Fifteen tracks seems like a great value, but a couple of the lesser tunes could have been trimmed to make this a more solid album. But when one of the complaints about a CD is that it has too much music, then it can’t be bad. “A Time To Love” is a brilliantly crafted collection of songs for grown-ups. There’s something relaxing and reassuring about it, but it’s not boring.
